The famous Trojan War of Homer’s Iliad was not the only time that the city of Troy was invaded in Greek mythology. In fact, just a few generations before the particular well-known event, there was another attack against the city. This invasion against Troy before the Trojan War was led by Heracles, better known as Hercules.
Hercules’ connection to the city of Troy
What were the circumstances that led up to Hercules’ invasion of Troy? It all started when Laomedon of Troy, the father of Priam, wanted to fortify the city. He obtained the help of the Greek gods in doing so. Poseidon and Apollo constructed massive walls around the city.
The gods expected payment, but Laomedon refused to provide them with any. As a result, Poseidon and Apollo were furious. As punishment, they sent a sea monster and a pestilence to attack the city. Coincidentally, Hercules was in the region after having recently fought the Amazons.
Hercules promised to save Troy from the sea monster if Laomedon would give him special mares, or horses. However, after this happened, Laomedon went back on his promise. He refused to make good on his promise to Hercules. As a result, Hercules vowed to return and wage war on the city.
Hercules’ swift invasion of Troy
The result of this was Hercules’ invasion of Troy, which we might refer to as the first Trojan War. This occurred when Priam, the king at the time of the setting of the Iliad, was still a youth. Hercules returned with only six ships. Some late sources say he came with eighteen ships. Examples include Diodorus and Apollodorus.
However, the earliest source for this event is Homer himself. He clearly states that Hercules attacked Troy with only six ships. The fact that it was a small number is actually something that Homer makes a point of in his Iliad.
There is no detailed account of this event, but one notable description comes from Isocrates. He wrote in the early fourth century BC:
“While they with the combined strength of Hellas found it difficult to take Troy after a siege which lasted ten years, he [Hercules], on the other hand, in less than as many days, and with a small expedition, easily took the city by storm.”
The point being made by Isocrates is that it was remarkable that Hercules was able to take Troy in less than ten days, while the combined force of the Greeks had struggled to do just that for ten whole years.
The conclusion of Hercules’ invasion of Troy
What was the result of Hercules’ attack against the city of Troy? Isocrates’ account continues, revealing the following:
“”After this, he put to death a man and all the princes of the tribes who dwelt along the shores of both continents; and these he could never have destroyed had he not first conquered their armies. When he had done these things, he set up the Pillars of Heracles, as they are called, to be a trophy of victory over the barbarians, a monument to his own valor and the perils he had surmounted, and to mark the bounds of the territory of the Hellenes.”
According to this, Hercules defeated the tribes in that region, on both sides of the Hellespont. He then set up the Pillars of Hercules to mark the limits of Greek territory, confirming that he, a Greek, had conquered territory as far as Troy.
Other records describe Hercules as killing all but one of Laomedon’s sons during this event. The only one he spared was the youngest son, Priam, whom he appointed as king of Troy. Many years later, when Priam was old, the Trojan War of the Iliad broke out. Hence, Priam allegedly lived through two Trojan Wars.
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